The Analogwise Pedals Dead Man Walking is a mid-gain fuzz pedal built with three germanium transistor gain stages. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio described it as born from the need to create "a fuzz pedal that was gnarly yet retained some smoothness and clarity," with mis-biased overtones giving it its character1. It is hand built in Poland and comes in the company's signature case of dark wood and unpolished metal1.
The controls
The Dead Man Walking keeps its panel simple: three knobs and one switch1.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Volume | Controls the output level of your signal |
| Tone | Cuts high end and boosts bass when turned to one side, and vice-versa |
| Gain | Sets up how much your input signal will get fuzzed out |
| Bias | Sets the fuzz's texture |
| Fat Mod switch | Introduces more low end to the fuzz, making the pedal sound way boomier |
The Bias control is worth spending time on, since it shapes the texture of the fuzz rather than just its amount, and the Tone knob works in both directions, so it is a tilt-style control rather than a simple treble cut1.
Fat Mod and bass use
The switch in the middle is the Fat Mod. Engaged, it brings more low end into the fuzz. Delicious Audio notes that "The Fat Mod makes the pedals usable with bass guitars, too," so a bass player can run the Dead Man Walking without losing the fundamentals under the fuzz1.
Power and temperature stability
The pedal takes regular 9V power. If you want more headroom and are willing to accept a little bit more noise, it can also run at 12V1.
Germanium circuits can shift in tone as temperature changes. The Dead Man Walking includes anti-temperature-drift circuitry, which Delicious Audio says "should prevent that from happening" in regular conditions1.
The sibling pedal: Eat Your Heart Out
The Dead Man Walking shares part of its circuit with the Analogwise Pedals Eat Your Heart Out, which has a lot more gain. Both pedals are built with three germanium transistor gain stages, and the anti-temperature-drift circuitry is installed in both1. A player choosing between the two is essentially choosing where on the gain scale they want their germanium fuzz to sit: mid-gain and smoother in the Dead Man Walking, much higher gain in the Eat Your Heart Out.
Videos
Demos In The Dark
Chris Kilian
Questions
What does the Fat Mod switch do on the Dead Man Walking?
The Fat Mod switch introduces more low end to the fuzz, making the pedal sound way boomier, according to Delicious Audio. Beyond the tonal change, the Fat Mod makes the pedal usable with bass guitars as well, so it is both a tone-shaping control and the feature that extends the Dead Man Walking to bass players.
Can the Analogwise Dead Man Walking be used with bass?
Yes. The Fat Mod switch is what makes the pedal usable with bass guitars, in addition to adding more low end to the fuzz on guitar. With the Fat Mod engaged, the pedal keeps enough bottom end under the fuzz to work in a bass rig.
Does temperature affect the Dead Man Walking's tone?
Germanium circuits can shift with heat, but the Dead Man Walking includes anti-temperature-drift circuitry that, per Delicious Audio, should prevent the tone from changing in regular conditions. So for normal playing situations, from a cold stage to a warm one, the fuzz character should stay put.
How does the Dead Man Walking differ from the Eat Your Heart Out?
The Dead Man Walking is a sibling pedal to the Analogwise Pedals Eat Your Heart Out. The two share part of the circuit, but the Eat Your Heart Out has a lot more gain. Both are built with three germanium transistor gain stages and share the same anti-temperature-drift circuitry.
Where is the Analogwise Dead Man Walking made?
The Dead Man Walking is hand built in Poland, in the company's signature case of dark wood and unpolished metal.
Sources (1)
- Analogwise Pedals Dead Man Walking Fuzz, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-03
